Incwadi KaPhawuli Yakuqala
KwabaseKhorinte
1
1 UPhawuli, obizelwe ukuba ngumpostoli kaJesu Khristu ngentando kaNkulunkulu, kanye lomzalwane wethu uSosithene.
2 Ebandleni likaNkulunkulu eKhorinte, kulabo abangcweliswe kuJesu Khristu babizelwa ukuba ngabangcwele bakhe kanye labo bonke abasezindaweni zonke abakhuleka ebizweni leNkosi yethu uJesu Khristu, iNkosi yabo leyethu:
3 Umusa lokuthula okuvela kuNkulunkulu uBaba leNkosini uJesu Khristu kakube kini.
Ukubonga
4 Ngihlezi ngimbonga kokuphela uNkulunkulu wami ngani, ngenxa yomusa wakhe eliwuphiweyo kuJesu Khristu. 5 Ngoba kuye linothiswe ngezindlela zonke, ekukhulumeni kwenu konke lasekwazini konke, 6 ngoba ubufakazi bethu ngoKhristu baqiniswa kini. 7 Ngakho kalisileli lakusiphi isipho somoya lapho lilindele ngokutshiseka ukuba iNkosi yethu uJesu Khristu ibonakaliswe. 8 Izaligcina liqinile kuze kube sekupheleni ukuze lingabi lasici ngosuku lweNkosi yethu uJesu Khristu. 9 UNkulunkulu olibizele ekuhlanganyeleni leNdodana yakhe uJesu Khristu iNkosi yethu, uthembekile.
Ukudabukana Ebandleni Ngenxa Yabathungameli
10 Ngiyalincenga bazalwane, ngebizo leNkosi yethu uJesu Khristu, ukuba lonke livumelane ukuze kungabi lokwehlukana phakathi kwenu kanye lokuthi libe ngabamanyeneyo engqondweni lasemcabangweni. 11 Bazalwane bami, abanye abendlu yakoKlowe bangitshele ukuthi kulezingxabano phakathi kwenu. 12 Engikutshoyo yilokhu: Omunye wenu uthi, “Mina ngilandela uPhawuli”; omunye uthi, “Mina ngilandela u-Apholo”; omunye uthi, “Mina ngilandela uKhefasi”; omunye laye uthi, “Mina ngilandela uKhristu.”
13 Kambe uKhristu wehlukene na? UPhawuli wake wabethelwa ngenxa yenu na? Labhaphathizwa ngebizo likaPhawuli na? 14 Ngibonga uNkulunkulu ngokuthi kangibhaphathizanga lamunye wenu ngaphandle kukaKhrispasi loGayiyasi, 15 ngakho kakho ongathi labhaphathizwa ngebizo lami. 16 (Yebo ngabhaphathiza abendlu KaStefane, ngaphandle kwalokho angikhumbuli ngibhaphathiza omunye.) 17 Ngoba uKhristu kangithumanga ukuba ngibhaphathize kodwa ukuba ngitshumayele ivangeli, hatshi ngamazwi enhlakanipho yabantu, funa isiphambano silahlekelwe ngamandla aso.
UKhristu Owabethelwayo UyiNhlakanipho LaMandla KaNkulunkulu
18 Ngoba ilizwi lesiphambano liyibuthutha kulabo ababhubhayo, kodwa kithi abasindisiweyo lingamandla kaNkulunkulu. 19 Ngoba kulotshiwe ukuthi:
“Ngizachitha inhlakanipho yabahlakaniphileyo;
ukwazi kwezazi ngizakunqunda.”*
20 Ungaphi umuntu ohlakaniphileyo na? Singaphi isifundiswa somthetho na? Singaphi isazi salesisikhathi na? UNkulunkulu kenzanga ukuhlakanipha kwasemhlabeni kwaba yibuthutha na? 21 Ngoba ekuhlakanipheni kukaNkulunkulu, umhlaba ngokuhlakanipha kwawo kawumazanga, uNkulunkulu wathokoza ngobuthutha balokho okwatshunyayelwayo ukuze kusindise abakholwayo 22 AmaJuda afuna izibonakaliso lezimangaliso lamaGrikhi adinga ukuhlakanipha, 23 kodwa thina sitshumayela uKhristu owabethelwayo: isikhubekiso kumaJuda lobuthutha kwabeZizwe, 24 kodwa kulabo ababizwe nguNkulunkulu, amaJuda lamaGrikhi, uKhristu ungamandla lokuhlakanipha kukaNkulunkulu. 25 Ngoba ubuthutha bukaNkulunkulu buhlakaniphile kulokuhlakanipha komuntu, lobuthakathaka bukaNkulunkulu bulamandla kulamandla omuntu.
26 Bazalwane, khumbulani ngalokho elaliyikho ekubizweni kwenu. Kababanengi phakathi kwenu ababehlakaniphile ngesilinganiso sabantu; kababanengi ababelamandla; kababanengi ababezalwa yizikhulu. 27 Kodwa uNkulunkulu wakhetha izinto zasemhlabeni eziyizithutha ukuba ayangise izihlakaniphi; uNkulunkulu wakhetha izinto zasemhlabeni ezibuthakathaka ukuba ayangise abalamandla. 28 Wakhetha izinto zalo umhlaba eziphansi lezinto ezeyisekayo kanye lezinto ezingekho ukuba achithe okukhona, 29 ukuze kungabi lamuntu ozazincoma phambi kwakhe. 30 Ngenxa yakhe lina likuKhristu uJesu, yena osebe yikuhlakanipha okuvela kuNkulunkulu esenzela thina, okuyikulunga kwethu, ubungcwele lokusindiswa. 31 Ngakho-ke, njengoba kulotshiwe ukuthi: “Lowo ozincomayo kazincome eNkosini.”†
* 1:19 U-Isaya 29.14 † 1:31 UJeremiya 9.24